


Waiting

by Burningchaos



Series: Separation Series [7]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Dark, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-16
Updated: 2005-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-11 23:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burningchaos/pseuds/Burningchaos





	Waiting

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, in all likelihood it was. They sat and listened to the water as it lapped, and sometimes crashed, against the docks of Atlantis. They sat and watched the sun sink till the water was afire with it’s dying light. Ford pulled out a power bar and handed it to him, and there were still no sounds outside of nature, no words spoken. It was peaceful and Rodney was soothed by it.

“I heard you and Carson fighting when I first woke up.” Rodney almost flinched as he spoke; he was shattering the first truly peaceful day he’d had since his return. He found it strange he was sharing it with Ford, who was always in motion. Or at least he was before. Now he was a stranger, mostly. Somehow, though, Rodney thought that of anyone here in Atlantis, Ford would understand what he was going through more then anyone else.

Ford looked toward the one scientist he would trust to watch his back, because before all this Rodney McKay always came through for his friends in a pinch. He may have been bitchy and complained more than any six people but he always did his best. Which, to Aiden, counted a lot. “Yeah, I am not who I used to be Doc. This thing, the enzyme, I’m not the guy who walked through that gate that first day. Not anymore, and not ever again. I was a little off for a while, crazy, bent, whatever word you want to use, but now I am in control.” Ford laughed, “Not the way I claimed I was, really in control now. Carson can’t understand it is more then the enzyme, though, it is me. I am different.”

Rodney took all the younger man said in, he understood it. Every word of it. “That is the most I have ever heard you say at once, that didn’t have to do with explosions or weapons.” Rodney’s voice was dry as he spoke. “Carson doesn’t like change,” Rodney let out a snort, “Which for a guy who came here is a funny thing. All he sees is how much he loves you. Nothing else would matter to him.”

Ford smiled, “So he is a lot like Sheppard then? Except for the change part. ‘Cause the way I see it, he loves you a whole hell of a lot. They tried to tell him you were dead, that it had been too long and you were a lost cause. He wouldn’t quit though, he found me, then he got General O’Neill and Caldwell to back him.”

“They declared me dead?” Shock ran through him leaving a sick taste in his mouth.

“Yep, the way I heard it was Lorne and a bunch of others had to drag him off, then Carson was ordered to drug him. Man, Carson bitched about that.”

“Wait, I thought Lorne was helping? I…” Rodney shuddered as he had a flash of the cavern and Lorne firing his gun, the light flashing and the sputtering sound hurting his ears. He shook it off, “He was there, right?”

Aiden moved closer, he saw McKay shaking. “Doc? You alright? Damn, forget I said that…” He saw Rodney smile; it was weak and didn’t quite reach his eyes, but a smile nonetheless. “Yeah, he helped, seems he and Parrish got friendly while you were gone.”

A bark of laughter exploded from Rodney’s chest, “Parrish and Lorne? You are joking, right? Lorne ‘I am the straightest man in two galaxies’ Lorne? That is what you are telling me?”

“Yep, guess he wasn’t so straight after all huh?” Ford laughed too, it was good to see Rodney smile, a real smile now. Not the fake one he had just moments before. “So I guess I should go talk to Carson.”

Rodney nodded as the younger man got up and then turned to offer him a hand, “So you gonna go find the Colonel?”

Sighing, Rodney looked at the offered hand, and then took it. “Yeah, I guess we have hidden long enough.”

“Yeah, we have.”


End file.
